Western Mining

About the Western Mining Digital Collection

Mining played a vital role in the development of the West. Immigrants often began their work lives in the United States as miners and this ethnic diversity is well represented in our mining image collection.

The Denver Public Library’s Digital Collections encompass over 12,000 digital images showing various mines, machinery, ore processing facilities, mine interiors, mills, smelters and miners of all types. We also have several mining directories and mining accident indexes.

Search Tips for Western Mining Photographs

To search Western Mining photographs, use the Quick Photo Search box to the left on this page or the Quick Photo Search box on the Digital Collections home page. You can search for mining images within our Digital Collections. Use terms such as "Bowie Coal Mine," "miners," "mills," "concentrators," "dredges," "head frame," "tailings (metallurgy)," "tailings embankments," "mine railroads or railroad cars," or "mine interiors."